Moisture-absorbent unit and container

Abstract

A moisture-absorbent unit capable of sufficiently restricting condensation inside a semi-sealed container that can be miniaturized and whose interior is at a comparatively high humidity, when this semi-sealed container undergoes a sharp temperature drop from being placed in a low-temperature environment, and to provide a semi-sealed container having the moisture-absorbent unit. A moisture-absorbent unit used inside a semi-sealed container, this moisture-absorbent unit characterized in having a porous moisture-absorbent material for which the difference in moisture absorption, obtained by subtracting the moisture absorption at a relative humidity of 85% from the moisture absorption at a relative humidity of 95%, is 15% by mass or more of the moisture-absorbent material before absorption.

1 . A moisture-absorbent unit comprising a porous moisture-absorbent material for which the difference in moisture absorption, obtained by subtracting the moisture absorption at a temperature of 25° C. and relative humidity of 85% from the moisture absorption at a temperature of 25° C. and relative humidity of 95%, is 15% by mass or more of the moisture-absorbent material before absorption.  
     
     
         2 . A moisture-absorbent unit comprising a moisture-absorbent material mixture comprising: 
 a porous moisture-absorbent material for which the difference in moisture absorption, obtained by subtracting the moisture absorption at a temperature of 25° C. and relative humidity of 85% from the moisture absorption at a temperature of 25° C. and relative humidity of 95%, is 15% by mass or more of the moisture-absorbent material before absorption; and    a moisture-absorbent material or gas-adsorbent material other than said porous moisture-absorbent material.    
     
     
         3 . A moisture-absorbent unit comprising a porous moisture-absorbent material for which the cumulative pore volume of pores with radii of 3 to 10 nm is at least 0.2 mL/g.  
     
     
         4 . A moisture-absorbent unit comprising a moisture-absorbent material mixture comprising: 
 a porous moisture-absorbent material for which the cumulative pore volume of pores with radii of 3 to 10 nm is at least 0.2 mL/g; and    a moisture-absorbent material or gas-adsorbent material other than said porous moisture-absorbent material.    
     
     
         5 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the difference in moisture absorption, obtained by subtracting the moisture absorption at a temperature of 25° C. and relative humidity of 85% from the moisture absorption at a temperature of 25° C. and relative humidity of 95%, is 15% by mass or more of the porous moisture-absorbent material.  
     
     
         6 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit is adapted for use in a semi-sealed container having one or more air vents.  
     
     
         7 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous moisture-absorbent material comprises at least one type selected from among a group comprising silica gel, alumina gel, silica/alumina gel, and activated carbon.  
     
     
         8 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous moisture-absorbent material or moisture-absorbent material mixture is in a sheet form or pellet form further comprising a binder.  
     
     
         9 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 8 , wherein the binder comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         10 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 8 , wherein the binder comprises a moisture-absorbent polymer.  
     
     
         11 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the porous moisture-absorbent material or moisture-absorbent material mixture is contained in a receptacle formed from an air-permeable sheet.  
     
     
         12 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 11 , wherein the air-permeable sheet comprises porous polytetrafluoroethylene film.  
     
     
         13 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle has one or more openings facing the air vents.  
     
     
         14 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 1 , adapted for use inside a magnetic storage disk device.  
     
     
         15 . The moisture-absorbent unit according to  claim 14 , wherein the magnetic storage disk device comprises a hard disk drive device.  
     
     
         16 . A moisture absorbent unit as in  claim 2  wherein said moisture absorbent material other than said porous moisture absorbent material is also a gas-absorbent material.  
     
     
         17 . A moisture absorbent unit as in  claim 4  wherein said moisture absorbent material other than said porous moisture absorbent material is also a gas-absorbent material.